The University of Tampere Career Center have regularly monitored the employment situation of those recently graduated. The studies focus on students taking the master's degree and on their employment situation after a year from graduation. Since 1994, those who have completed the master's degree have been surveyed in two stages according to the time of their graduation: either in spring or in autumn. Thus, those who have completed their degree have received the employment questionnaire approximately after a year from their graduation. Each dataset includes several questions about respondents' search for work, current employment situation, and employer. Background information covers respondent's gender, degree, the year when began studying, faculty, department, main subject and province. Employment Surveys of Tampere University Postgraduates have been conducted since 1996.
The survey charted the employment situation of persons with a post-graduate degree from the University of Tampere. Respondents' current employment status and employment during postgraduate studies were investigated. Respondents were asked about the nature of their current job, occupational title, and whether the job was commensurate with their qualifications. Experiences of working or studying abroad were studied. One topic pertained to job searching: job searching methods used, employment sectors and type of employers approached and how the respondent had obtained his/her current job.
Opinions on whether the postgraduate degree enhanced employment prospects were probed. Respondents were asked about employer attitudes towards postgraduates and the reasons for commencing postgraduate studies. Background variables included respondents' sex, postgraduate degree (licentiate, doctorate) and field of study.
Total study. The questionnaire was sent to all persons who had completed their postgraduate degree at the University of Tampere in 2001 (altogether 148 persons). The data were collected in the early spring of 2003, which means that respondents received the questionnaire approximately one year after the completion of their studies.